The Wedding Bet
by Angel in the Morning
Summary: Morgan makes a bet with Garcia landing him at a wedding which brings long hidden emotions to the surface.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Derek was lounging on her couch, drink in hand, and a huge Cheshire smile on his face. He lifted his glass to her, "I say we cheers to that."

His smile was contagious and Penelope smiled softly with a shake of her head. "Morgan," she scolded, "Be nice." She felt bad enough about dumping the poor guy; she didn't need Derek making her feel worse.

He shrugged resignedly and took sip from his drink. "What? How can I not cheers to you _finally_ dumping Lynch?"

She rolled her eyes. "Because it's mean." The look on his face told Penelope that Derek didn't give a shit about being mean to her ex. There was definitely no love lost between them. It had been the only point of contention between Derek and her for the past three years. She felt obligated to add, "He wasn't a bad guy, Derek."

"If he was so wonderful, why did you dump him?" His playfully teasing smile caused his eyes to twinkle and Penelope couldn't help but smile at him; he looked like such a kid. "Well?" he asked, all playfulness gone. "What finally caused you to see reason?"

She groaned, "Ugh, his jealousy."

"Baby girl, you are gorgeous and he looked like " A warning glance from her caused him to change his words, "He is not. You spend all your time talking me; of course he's going to be a little jealous."

She scoffed and gave him a look, "A little jealous wouldn't be a problem but he was getting jealous when I went to lunch with JJ. I mean I see her once or twice a month and he would freak out." She leaned over conspiratorially, "He was more jealous of me and JJ than he was of me and you, I think."

That wasn't really true and they both knew it. Over three fourths of the fights between her and Kevin had been about how close she was with Derek. She remembered in particular the fight they had had after Kevin discovered Derek still spent the night on her couch on occasion. She shivered; it had probably been the worst fight of her life.

A wicked smile crossed Derek's face. "If I thought my girl had a little something something going on with another girl, I don't think I would have a problem with that," he said with a wink.

"Only if you could watch, you pervert." She shoved him playfully.

He chuckled, "Ain't nothing wrong with a little fun, baby girl."

"That's just it," she said with a scowl. "If I had any bit of fun without him there, it was a problem. It's like he thought I couldn't just be me; he always had to be involved, in control. Ugh, it just got too much. Why do guys do that? I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"Not all guys do that. I don't."

She suppressed a laugh, "You aren't the jealous type but you do it in a different way, hot stuff." The subtle way he made sure every guy in the room knew he would have to get through him to get to Penelope. The way he would cock block if someone did manage to slide under his radar. She knew he was just being an overprotective big brother but sometimes it drove her to distraction.

"What's that supposed to mean," he asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

She smiled innocently, "Nothing, babe."

"It meant something." She gave him her best innocuous, angelic look. He put his hands up in defeat, "Okay. For now."

Two alcohol laden drinks and three hours later, Penelope was three sheets to the wind. But it was okay, she reminded herself, they were at her place and she could pass out whenever she wanted or puke. Derek always made her drinks too strong. He always joked it was so he could get her drunk and get in her pants. She thought he was just incapable of making light drinks.

She shook her head and tried to focus on what Derek was saying. Some story about a bob? No, not a bob, a bomb, maybe? Was he talking about New York again? He loved to bring up how worried she had been. "I'm still mad at you for that," she said as she took another sip of her drink.

He stopped talking and stared at her like she had grown two heads. "What?"

"New York." The look on his face told her she was way off base. "You weren't talking about a bomb, in New York," she said sheepishly. She silently cursed him for making strong drinks.

"No, baby girl," he said with a laugh. "I was talking about a bombshell whose number I got this morning."

"Oh," she said with a sigh. She never really liked hearing about Derek and his conquests. She didn't know why but she always had an unexplainable twinge of jealousy when he did. Whenever it happened, she reasoned it was because she was afraid she would lose her friend. At least that's what she told herself.

"Well, good luck with her." Thinking of him with another girl made her think of Kevin again, the jealous ass. "Just don't be all jealous and overprotective and gross like Kevin. It's not 1950; women don't need men. We can handle ourselves. I took the same self defense class all the techs did. I could probably kick Kevin's ass if I wanted to," she ranted.

"Baby girl, what makes you think I'm gunna be like that?" he asked as he took a long swig of his drink.

"Because you are like that." Not jealous, at least not around her, but definitely overprotective.

Derek spit his drink out as he exclaimed, "What?"

She giggled and stood to find him a napkin. She found one in her cabinet and handed it to him as she sat back down. He stared at her expectantly so she began to explain. "Derek, you know I love you but, you are so overprotective. Like momma bear and her cub protective. You act like I can't handle myself. I can't even talk to a guy at a bar without you stepping in." She saw the indignation on his face and bit her lip. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing," she paused, "Well, yea, it kind of is but it's you so…" she trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"I am not overprotective around you. I let you do you."

She saw he was getting worked up and tried to drop it. "Okay, Derek. You're right."

"No, I'm going to prove it to you." Penelope raised a questioning eyebrow. This didn't sound like fun. "Next weekend," Derek continued, "we're going out and I am going to prove it to you."

"And just what are you going to prove?"

"That I am not overprotective. That I don't get involved in your love life."

She laughed, "We both know the only reason Kevin and I were able to start dating was because you had no idea about it, otherwise, you would have gotten in the way."

"Is that why you kept it from me?" She nodded slowly. "See, because you assumed I would do something crazy, you never let me vet him. I could have saved you years of being with him."

She shook her head with a laugh, "Proving my point." There was no way Derek couldn't get involved in her love life. It was impossible.

A sly smile crossed his face, "Let's make a bet out of this. When I prove it to you, you have to come work out with me for a week."

Penelope shook her head vigorously, "No, you get up at like five. Not happening." She instantly regretted shaking her head so hard. She suddenly felt quite nauseous and pushed her drink away from her.

"If you're so sure, it won't be a problem, will it?" he replied smartly, a smirk playing on his lips.

He was right. She knew without a doubt that Derek was going to keep any guy who looked at her away with just one look. She relented, "Fine, but what do I get when you act like a buffoon?"

Derek didn't even need to think about it which Penelope found highly suspicious. "I'll go to your friend's wedding with you. Now that Lynch is gone, you don't have a date."

"You hate weddings," she said with her eyes narrowed. She had originally asked Derek to go with her because Kevin was a drag at weddings. Ha, she thought to herself, the signs really add up after the breakup. Derek had told her in no uncertain terms that there was no way he would set foot at a wedding.

"Yea, I do. But I won't end up going so, no loss on my end."

It would be nice no to go stag. Penelope thought about it only for a moment before she said, "Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! You guys make me want to keep typing and typing. Lucky for you, the hubby is out of town for the weekend so I plan on doing a lot of typing and a lot of updating.

One more minute, Penelope thought as she watched the clock on her monitor. One more minute until it was officially the weekend and she could go home to a nice warm bubble bath, soothing music, vanilla and lavender scented candles and relax away the stress of the week. Just imagining it made her relax exponentially. Her stare turned to a glare as the number on clock refused to change. Had it frozen? She was about to turn to another monitor when the clock finally read 6:00.

She let out a whoop and jumped out of her chair to quickly gather her things. She had the uncanny feeling that she was forgetting about something but as far as she was concerned, if it was forgettable, it wasn't that important to begin with.

"Someone's in a hurry."

Penelope didn't need to look up to know it was Derek, "Hey, hot stuff." She finished gathering her things and turned, flashing him a smile.

He was leaning against her door frame with his signature smirk splayed across his face. "Are you excited for tonight?"

Her browed crinkled in confusion, "Tonight?" Apparently she was forgetting something. Did they have plans?

"Yea, I have to show you how I'm not an overprotective chauvinist."

Penelope groaned as she remembered their bet. Penelope didn't have to be a profiler to know by his tone that this was about his pride. There was no way she could push this to another time. Her fantasy bubble bath was swept away.

"Do you have other plans tonight, baby girl?" Derek teased.

"Yea, with my bubble bath," she said with a laugh.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "If you want, we don't have to go but I'm pretty sure that counts as a forfeit which means I win." He flashed her one of his devastatingly beautiful smiles.

"No," she said quickly, "No, we can go." The thought of getting up even earlier than she already was forced to for a whole week straight made her stomach churn. A girl needed her beauty sleep. She could always take her bubble bath later, she determined with a sigh. Maybe even with a sexy man she met tonight. Scratch that, she thought, as she remembered the usual guys who frequented their favorite bar.

"Good," Derek said with a smile. "Meet me there, around seven?"

"Eight thirty," she said. Maybe she could sneak a short bubble bath in there after all.

Much to Penelope's happiness, she had been able to take her bath, albeit a very short bath. In spite of the fact that they had planned to meet at the bar, Derek had shown up at her door at eight claiming that he needed to vet her outfits.

"_I can't have you walking around looking like a sex kitten," he said with a sinful smile. "That just wouldn't be fair."_

Not that she really minded. Derek knew what looked good on women and she always enjoyed having his input. She was actually doing pretty well tonight. She had gotten hit on by several young college age guys but much to her chagrin, Derek seemed to be ignoring it for the first time in their relationship. He seemed content to focus on the pretty young things who were constantly throwing themselves at him. He had even stayed away when one of them had dragged her to a table with his friends.

If she was going to get out of a week of lost beauty sleep, she was going to have to try harder. She turned to the man who had been flirting with her for the last half hour. "Mike," she purred, running her ruby red nail along his cheek. "I wanna dance."

A cocky smile sprung to his face, "I would love that." Of course you would, Penelope thought to herself with a smile. He had been staring at her tits and ass since the moment he walked into the bar. She knew he was dying to touch her, not that she minded. He was definitely her type.

After ten minutes of dancing, Mike turned her so her back was against her. Penelope fought the urge to roll her eyes. She understood why men liked to dance like that but she never found any appeal in it herself. She glanced over to Derek's table and saw him with a tiny blonde who looked like she just turned twenty one. He noticed her looking and smiled at her. She gave him a little wave.

"Who is that?" Mike said into her ear.

His hot breath against her ear felt good and Penelope smiled, "A friend of mine." Penelope was actually shocked that Derek was being so good tonight. Especially with her dancing with another guy. She had turned down Derek's offer to dance many times and she knew it was a sore spot for him. She felt bad but she knew the types of girls he danced with and how he danced with him. She had a front row seat for it most nights. Since he wasn't stepping in now, Penelope resigned herself to a week of early mornings.

They continued to dance and after awhile, Penelope became aware just how attractive Mike thought she was. The evidence was unabashedly poking her in the butt. While she was flattered, she moved away slightly. Mike snaked his hand around his waist and pulled her close again.

She decided she didn't mind if that part of him was pressed against her. They were both adults and he was very attractive. Penelope suddenly became aware that his hand was slowly moving lower and subtly moved his hand back to her waist. As attractive as he was, he still wasn't touching that. Especially not in a crowded bar.

After a moment, his hand repeated its slow descent. Maybe he just didn't get it, Penelope thought as she moved his hand once again.

As his hand began to move once again, Penelope whirled around to tell him just where he could shove his hand. She opened her mouth to speak when Derek suddenly appeared. "I think you need to go find someone else to dance with," he growled menacingly. Mike took one look at the bulk of muscle that was Derek and walked away.

Derek turned back to Penelope who had a huge Cheshire grin on her face, "You okay, baby girl?"

"You got involved," she said giddily. No early mornings for her and she was going to have the hottest date at the wedding. It was totally worth forgoing a long relaxing bath.

"What?" he asked. As realization dawned he shook hiss head, "No, no way that counts. He was all over you." Penelope just continued to smile. "I wouldn't have been a friend if I hadn't stepped in," Derek added.

Penelope rolled her eyes, "Derek, I've taken the self defense classes that _you_ teach. We both know I could have handled him." She paused and poked him playfully in the chest, "You just can't help yourself, _mon amie_."

He groaned, "Baby girl, this is not fair."

"It counts," she said. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, "You better get your tux dry cleaned, sugar. The wedding is next Saturday."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I love them so much! I'm super excited about this chapter so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Penelope felt like crying. Huge salty watery tears built up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them before they had a chance to spill over and get on the silk of her dress.

The dress did nothing for her. It was a knee length forest green dress she had bought when she first found out about the wedding. It had a heart shaped bodice and nice thick straps so she could still wear a comfy bra. The dress ended in an A-line skirt which Penelope had originally thought looked cute. When she had purchased it, she had absolutely loved it. Kevin had loved it too. Shocker.

As she looked at herself in the dress now, she couldn't believe what she had ever seen in it. The dress was just way too tight. She was used to flowy, comfy clothes. This dress felt nice and skin tight, however, the second that she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt like a frumpy goon. To make matters worse, the bodice was so tight she felt like her boobs were going to pop out if she moved the wrong way.

Penelope sighed, thinking that she must have gained weight since she bought the dress. That would be her luck. She loved her body and was proud of her curves but sometimes, especially when trying on clothes, she wished she was smaller.

She eyed her delicately encased breasts in the mirror, wondering how much it would take for them to slip out of her dress. Oh God, she suddenly thought, what if they popped out while dancing? Penelope jumped up and down a few times to test her theory but they stayed safely covered. She jumped and twisted at the same time, just to be sure.

Halfway through her jump, a voice startled her, "Woman, what are you doing?"

Penelope whirled around and glared at Derek. He was early. He was always early. She was supposed to be out of this second skin before he arrived for their weekly movie date. And he wasn't supposed to just show up in her bedroom. "Nothing," she scowled at him as she wrapped her arms to cover her chest. "We have to go shopping," she declared.

He let out a chuckle as he shook his head. "It's nine o'clock on a Friday night, baby girl, we can't go shopping."

Oh, God, he was right. Penelope groaned. There was no time to find a new dress. "But we have to," she said sadly. "I can't wear this tomorrow." Her mind whirled as she came up with ways to cover the dress. Maybe a sweater or a wrap. Ugh, stupid formal weddings, she silently grumbled to herself. Her wedding was going to be simple and people could wear whatever they wanted, she decided.

She was brought out of her ruminations as she became aware that Derek's eyes were raking over her. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, as she became even more self conscious. After a moment he spoke, "Why not? You look great, momma."

Of course he was going to say that. He was her best friend, he was obligated to. She gave him a mean look, "It's too tight. I look like a sausage." A big green sausage, she thought meanly.

Derek suddenly laughed which irritated Penelope to no end. "Really? I tell you I look like a sausage and you laugh? You suck, Derek Morgan." She fought the urge to whack him over the head with a hanger.

He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Baby girl, let me explain something to you. Any red blooded male loves tight."

Penelope pushed him away irritably. He wasn't going to make her feel better with his hugs and kisses. Butthead, she thought grumpily. "Not on me," she said. "I don't look good in tight clothes."

He sighed and shook his head. "Do you really think that, Penelope?" She shrugged. She suddenly felt stupid for bring it up at all. The last time she had felt this way, Derek had given her a speech meant to cheer her up. In reality it made her want to punch him. What the hell did he know? He was sculpted better than a Greek statue.

"Baby girl, do you want to know what I see when I look at you in that dress?" Penelope nodded begrudgingly.

Derek licked his lips unconsciously as he looked over her. "I see curves," he said suddenly, "delicious, sexy, touchable curves." He placed his hands on her hips and Penelope bit her lips, suddenly very aware where Derek was touching her. "I see full inviting hips that beg to be caressed. I see a voluptuous ass just waiting to be squeezed and spanked," he said with a wicked smile. His hands moved to her stomach and caressed her softly. "I see a sexy stomach meant to hold some lucky man's babies." His eyes fell on her breasts and Penelope held her breath in anticipation. "I see a pair of delectable creamy breasts begging to be sucked and teased." Derek's eyes moved to her face, pausing at her lips. He smiled a titillating smile, "Quite simply, baby girl, I see one sexy woman."

Penelope's breath was heavy. His words had caused wetness to pool in her core and she felt faint. She couldn't believe the words coming out of Derek's mouth. Her best friend was talking about her like…like….well frankly like he wanted to fuck her. Penelope suddenly became aware that she was not at all opposed to that idea. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Finally she was able to squeak "Oh."

He smiled knowingly, "Do you still want to go shopping, baby girl?"

After that speech, she was going to wear this dress everywhere. She shook her head, "No."

Derek kissed her head, "Good. Now go change and I'll put in a movie." Still in a dazed confusion, Penelope simply nodded and did as she was told.

Once they were settled and watching a movie, Derek had time to think about what had just happened. He hadn't meant to say those things. He had only wanted to tell her that she was gorgeous and any man would have been lucky to have her. There was always an underlying sexual tension between them but nothing like what he had felt seeing her in that dress. When he walked into her bedroom and saw her jumping like a fool, he'd had an instant hard on. He was just lucky that Penelope had been so focused on herself that she hadn't noticed.

He hated hearing Penelope say negative things about herself, especially when she was perfect just the way she was. He'd only meant to tell her that she looked good but once he started talking, it all spilled out. All of the things he'd secretly thought about his sensual, gorgeous best friend. He had barely been able to stop himself from spilling his feelings as well.

And Penelope hadn't said a word about it. She had just stared at him. As he thought about it, he felt like an even bigger ass. He could only hope and pray that he hadn't ruined their friendship. Derek had been in love with her for years but he knew she was way too good for him. So he had simply kept his feelings to himself.

Until today when he stupidly opened his mouth. There was no way he could let that ruin the friendship that they had. He instantly decided that while they were at the wedding, he was going to show Penelope that nothing had changed. He wasn't going to risk their friendship, even if it meant he would love her unrequited for the rest of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I feel like a broken record saying that but I really appreciate them!

Penelope was almost bouncing with excitement as they made their way towards the church which was dangerous considering she was wearing four in heels. Derek thought that she looked absolutely beautiful. She had paired the skin tight green dress with a sea foam green silk shawl and spiked black heels. Derek knew he was going to have to beat the men away from her.

No, he told himself, you're not. He needed to make up for his mistake that he had made the night before. She hadn't said anything to him about it but they both knew what had been said. Derek didn't like the feeling that it was hanging over their heads so he was intent on making today a great day for her. He was going to make her forget he had ever said those things and if she wanted to flirt with every man at the wedding, he was just going to sit back and force a smile.

As they walked from his car, she chatted about how the wedding couple had met and how she knew the couple. She was absolutely adorable and her excitement was contagious. Derek found himself not wishing he was anywhere but this wedding. "Calm down, baby girl," he said with a chuckle.

She flashed him a bright cheerful smile, "I can't help it. I absolutely love weddings. And knowing Jasmine and Jeremy, this is going to be gorgeous." She gave him a teasing smile, "And it's an open bar."

He rolled his eyes, "Lucky for you. Just don't make me carry you out."

She laughed, "I doubt they make drinks as strong as you do, sugar plum." She paused, "Promise you'll keep an eye on how many I drink? I get so excited at weddings that I don't really pay attention," she said sheepishly.

Silly girl, he thought, he was going to so that anyway. He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead, "Of course, baby girl."

"Penelope!" Someone called suddenly as they reached the steps leading up to the church and Penelope noticeable blanched. Her eyes widened and she glanced at Derek with a look of disbelief on her face.

Derek glanced in the direction of the shout and saw the last person he expected; Kevin Lynch. One look at Penelope told him that she hadn't expected him here either. Derek felt a twinge of jealousy. Of course Lynch would come spoil a day with his baby girl. Derek silently prayed Penelope wouldn't suddenly realize she had made a mistake and take Lynch back. He knew it would probably kill him to watch that happen.

Lynch walked over with a surprisingly attractive blonde on his arm. As they got closer Derek was actually shocked at how attractive the girl was. She was wearing a bright red low cut dress that barely covered her chest. Derek's brow crinkled suspiciously as Penelope held a forced smile on her face. "Kevin," she said without joy. "Hi, what are you doing here?"

Lynch had a smug smile on his face and Derek's arm ached with the urge to smack the smile from his face. "Jeremy invited me after he heard what you did," he said smartly.

"Oh, how nice," she said. She looked extremely uncomfortable. Derek wondered momentarily if it was the first time she had seen him since they broke up.

"I see you brought Morgan. Surprise surprise."

As he said it, he had the nerve to look at Derek as if he was something that crawled out from under a rock. It took everything in Derek not to wipe that look right off his smug little face. Instead he smiled and held out his hand to Lynch's date, "Derek Morgan, nice to meet you." He knew that if Lynch was half as jealous as Penelope said he would, that that would get under his skin.

The young woman smiled shyly as she shook his hand, "Amanda Jade."

"This is my date, Penelope," he said as he snaked an arm around her waist. Penelope flashed him a thankful smile and Derek noticed Lynch immediate clenched his jaw. She hadn't been lying about his jealousy, Derek thought.

"Amanda's a model," Lynch blurted out.

Amanda blushed a deep crimson as she mumbled, "I just got my first contract."

As much as Derek wanted to put Lynch in his place, he waited to see Penelope's reaction. She simply smiled brightly, "That's amazing. You must be so excited." Derek felt a small burst of pride that she wasn't letting Kevin get under her skin. That was his baby girl.

There was an awkward silence as Lynch glared at Penelope. Derek felt bad for Amanda. His behavior was convincing Derek that every negative thought he'd had about him was true. After a moment, Derek cleared his throat, "So, we had better find seats. It was….nice seeing you guys."

He led Penelope into the church and the ushers led them to seats on the bride's side. He was relieved that Lynch was seating far from them. He gave Penelope a moment to settle and awe over how beautiful the church was. She made him smile. Even after that awkward encounter, she still found time to admire the wedding venue. He turned to her with a smile, "Are you okay, sweetness?"

She nodded, "Yea, I was just shocked that he was here." She wrinkled her nose as she said, "I kinda wish Jasmine would have given me a heads up, you know?"

Derek nodded. "Just don't let him ruin a good time," he advised. If Lynch even spoke to her again, Derek knew it would take all his will power not to tell him to shove it. He had seen the looks Lynch was giving Penelope. The only reason he was here was to get to her.

He glanced to where Lynch was sitting and saw him staring at them. Deciding to be civil, for Penelope's sake, he smiled civilly and nodded his head in acknowledgment. As much as the kid disgusted him, he was willing to play nice, if only for Penelope.

He turned back to her as she laughed, "Oh, don't worry. Not even Kevin could wreck my fun." She gave him a delicious teasing smile, "I'm at a fancy wedding with the sexiest man in Virginia"

"Only Virginia?" he asked in mock hurt bringing another perfect smile to Penelope's face.

She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks."

"For what, baby girl?" he asked as he brushed a hair out of her face.

"I don't know why you hate weddings but you do and it just means a lot that you're here with me. I really appreciate it."

She was so sweet that Derek couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Anything for you. Besides, you won the bet fair and square."

"Just so you know," she said, "if you want to be overprotective and all Derek-like around Kevin today, I'll be okay with that."

He laughed, "I definitely think I can mange that."

Soft music starting playing causing their conversation to drop. Derek slipped his arm around Penelope's shoulders and settled to watch the ceremony. He just wasn't going to tell her that the real reason that he hated weddings was that they reminded him that he was never going to marry the woman of his dreams, the woman who at that moment was sitting happily in his arm.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: It makes me so happy to know that you guys are enjoying this story! I should have another update tonight and I think you guys will really enjoy that one.

It was the most beautiful wedding Penelope had ever seen. The church was absolutely gorgeous and Jeremy and Jasmine had written their own vows. Not surprisingly, she had cried the whole time. Penelope knew she probably looked like a goof but she couldn't help it; weddings were just so gosh darn emotional. Derek was the perfect gentleman, too, handing her tissues and not commenting on how silly she looked.

It had been an afternoon wedding so they headed straight to the reception hall and Penelope could not have been happier. Her stomach had been rumbling obnoxiously throughout the whole ceremony. Proving yet again that he was a gentleman, Derek simply pretended not to hear it.

The reception hall was decorated in an array of light pinks and silvers. While Penelope acknowledged that it was beautiful, it was tame for her tastes. She would have had bright pinks and fuchsia. It would be totally tacky and amazing.

They quickly found their seats and got comfy. After raving about how adorable the place cards were, she turned to Derek with a smile. "So? Is it as bad as you thought?" she asked teasingly.

Derek smiled, "No, but I couldn't hear most of it through your sobs of joy."

Penelope stuck her tongue out at him like a child. Someone just lost their gentleman status, she thought to herself. "You, my love, just jealous of my feminine emotions. You just wish it were socially acceptable to bawl your heart out at that declaration of love."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I'm not even gunna cry at my own wedding, sweetheart."

His wedding? Was he saying he was actually going to get married one day? That was a shock. Never once in the years that she knew him, had Derek ever mentioned even settling down with one woman much less getting married. If he was willing to settle down…..Penelope bit her lip as long buried feelings started to slowly leak to the surface.

Derek noticed her silence and, misinterpreting it for guilt for dragging him to the wedding, spoke up, "Seriously, it wasn't bad. I'm having fun, baby girl." He suddenly smiled scandalously, "I'll be having a whole lot more fun when I'm dancing with you. Maybe like you were dancing with your friend last week."

Penelope blushed as she remembered how she and Mike had been dancing before he got too handsy. There was no way she was dancing like that with Derek. That would just be way too much. She forced a smile as she said, "Aw, buttercup, you don't have to dance with me. Feel free to flirt with the masses and get your groove thang on."

There was an unintelligible look on his face as he spoke. "No, I'm your date. I'm not dancing with anyone but you tonight, sweetness," he said vehemently.

Someone took a seat next to Penelope, thankfully, interrupting their conversation. She had no idea what to say to Derek's strange reaction. She turned to see who else was at their table and Penelope had to bite her lip to hold back a groan. Really? Was Jasmine serious about this seating arrangement, she thought. After taking a moment to calm down, she smiled, "Hi Amanda."

Amanda looked like a deer caught in headlights. Her brown eyes were wide open and she chewed on her lip nervously. "Oh, Hi, Penelope. Derek. Oh, this is uncomfortable. I didn't realize we were seated at your table," she said quickly.

Penelope felt a surge of sympathy for the girl. She knew the whole thing had probably been created by Kevin and the poor girl was just forced along for the ride. "It's fine. We're all adults," she said. She flashed a teasing smile, "I promise Derek and I will play nice." Silently, Penelope thought she was definitely going to have a talk with Jasmine after her honeymoon and find out how and why Kevin had arranged all this. And why Jasmine and Jeremy had agreed to it.

"Where's your date?" Derek asked smoothly. Penelope shot him a don't-go-there look. He was not seriously going to flirt with Kevin's date. Did he realize the drama that was going to cause? He smiled at her innocently.

"I'm right here," Kevin said as he took the seat on the other side of Amanda. Penelope silently prayed that he would be civil. The last thing she needed was a display of macho prowess between Derek and Kevin, not that there was any doubt in her mind who would win. Her hopes were dashed when Kevin snidely said, "You already took Penelope from me, Derek, are you trying to take Amanda too?" Penelope instantly decided she would love Derek to put Kevin in his place, preferably in a painfully embarrassing physical way.

The tension was momentarily squashed by Amanda. "Oh, how long have you two been together?" she asked Penelope innocently.

"They're not actually together, Amanda," Kevin snapped irritably.

Penelope and Derek exchanged a mischievous look. What better way to get back at her jealous, jerk of an ex? Derek slipped an arm around her shoulders as Penelope spoke, "We've been best friends for years but we just started dating."

Kevin noticeably blanched, "What?" Much to Penelope's glee, he looked like he had been socked in the stomach.

Derek placed a soft kiss on Penelope's cheek, "She's gorgeous. I couldn't let her get away."

Penelope smiled brightly as she turned back to Amanda. "How did you and Kevin meet?" she asked innocently. If Kevin was going to be a jerk, she could be a bitch.

"Through a friend," Kevin said quickly. He looked back and forth between Derek and Penelope. "So you two are actually dating now?" he finally asked.

Penelope turned to smile at Derek, and to her surprise, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. She was shocked by the feeling of his lips against hers. He had soft, oh so soft, delicious lips. She opened her lips slightly, in surprise, giving Derek's tongue silent permission to enter her mouth. He instantly responded and Penelope suppressed a moan as Derek's tongue twirled, circled, and teased her mouth. Each caress of his tongue against her sensitive mouth sent waves of pleasure through her body, both to her mind and to the pooling wetness between her thighs.

Kevin cleared his throat reminded Penelope where they were, and she pulled away in a daze. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, she thought. That had been the best kiss of her life. She had never felt that type of response to kissing anyone, not Kevin, not her first boyfriend, not anyone. And it was with her best friend, who, by the size of the smile on his face, looked like he really enjoyed it. Her hand that had been on his leg could feel just how much he enjoyed it. She suddenly remembered why he had kissed her and it was as if someone threw a bucket of cold water on her. It meant nothing. He was just doing it to irk Kevin. She turned back to Kevin and Amanda with a bright fake smile on her face, "Yea, we're dating."

Kevin's face was red with rage as he spat out, "I'm surprised you waited until after you dumped me to jump his bones."

Penelope opened her mouth to retort when Derek spoke up, "Kevin, the ladies need some drinks. Walk with me." The way he said it left no room for Kevin to say no.

Penelope watched as Derek led Kevin away and wondered momentarily if Kevin was going to come back in one piece. She turned to Amanda with a sheepish smile, "Sorry about that."

Amanda shrugged, "I would have jumped his bones, too."

Penelope giggled, breaking the tension. "Yea, he is very attractive." She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. Especially after that kiss. She groaned inwardly; she thought she had gotten over her little crush on Derek years ago. When they first met, she would have given anything to be with him but as years went by, she got over it. At least she thought she had. That kiss brought long hidden emotions to the surface. She forcefully pushed her thoughts aside as she chatted with Amanda. It was going to be a very, very interesting night.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! My hubby comes home tomorrow so I won't be able to update as frequently. My goal is at least once a day. I hope you love this update as much as I do!

When Derek and Kevin returned to the table, Penelope was relatively relieved that Kevin was in one piece. To her surprise Kevin sat down and completely ignored her. He wouldn't even look at her. What on earth, she thought. As Derek handed her a drink and sat next to her, she gave him an inquiring look. She wanted to know what happened. Derek just smiled innocently at her.

Because Kevin wasn't speaking to her, dinner passed without incident as Derek, Penelope, and Amanda made small talk. In fact, Kevin didn't say another word to anyone the whole time. It made Penelope nervous. She kept glancing between him and Derek but neither one of them gave any indication of what happened.

When the meal was finished, Kevin and Amanda stood suddenly. "It was nice seeing you, Penelope, Derek," Kevin said. Without waiting for their response, they left.

Penelope turned to Derek, a look of shock on her face. That had been one of the most awkward situations she had ever been in. "What did you do to him?" she accused as a smile involuntarily crept onto her face. She wanted to scold him for obviously saying something to Kevin but she couldn't. In reality, she was absolutely ecstatic that Derek put him in his place. She was tempted to give him a big kiss in thanks.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Nothing, baby girl." A small smile formed on his face and his eyes twinkled mischievously.

She shoved him playfully, "Derek Morgan, tell me." There was no way that he was going to get out without telling her. She knew all of his ticklish spots and she wasn't afraid of using them.

Recognizing the impish glint in her eyes, Derek relented. "I just gave him some advice."

She snorted in disbelief, "Advice?"

"Yea," he said with his puckish smile wide on his face. "I advised him that if he didn't want to end up alone in a room with an UnSub suddenly, he should treat you with the respect you deserve."

Penelope's heart swelled with love for her best friend. She leaned over and kissed his cheek as she cooed, "Aw, my _nior hero_." She reached for his hand unconsciously and idly began to play with it.

Derek raised her hand and kissed it. He sighed and shook his head in exasperation as he said, "Momma, I'm not going to lie to you. I was one smart ass comment from taking him outside and showing him some Chicago justice."

Penelope was surprised at how sexy that sounded coming from Derek's mouth. "I was one comment away from being okay with that," she said with a laugh. Derek sat silently staring at her and Penelope began to feel horrid. She knew how much Derek hated weddings and she had tricked him into coming anyway. To make matters worse, Kevin had shown up and ruined what could have been an amazing day with her best friend. She sighed and ran her fingers across his cheek sadly, "I'm really sorry about all that. If I had known he would be here and would act like that, I would have stayed home."

He looked at her for a moment before laughing. Penelope couldn't help but smile. After a moment Derek smiled, "Baby girl, I had a blast."

Her brow crinkled in confusion; a blast? The whole afternoon had been one of the worst, most awkward afternoons of her life. Aside from the gorgeous ceremony, of course. She was going to have to ask Jasmine who her wedding planner was. She mentally shook herself and focused on the moment. "A blast?" she asked suspiciously.

Derek nodded with a smile. "Do you know how long I've wanted to say something to him?" he asked.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Pssh, hot stuff, I know for a fact you scared the hell out of him when you found out we were dating." Kevin had flat out refused to even come near her at the BAU for two months because he was terrified that Derek would see them together. Hell, he wouldn't even go out with her outside of his apartment for fear Derek would show up. She had had to promise him a million and a half times that Derek would never hurt him before it had changed.

"Oh," Derek said looking quite pleased with himself. "He told you about that?"

She frowned at him and scolded, "He almost dumped me after that."

"Why didn't you say anything?" He had the good graces to look slightly ashamed of himself. In spite of that, somehow, she knew he would have been extremely happy if Kevin had broken up with her and knowing that made her very happy.

She thought about what Derek asked. Why hadn't she said anything to him about it? She licked her lips as she thought. When she had first found out about it, she had wanted to kill Derek. But as she thought about why she did it, it made her feel special. It felt good knowing that this sexy sculpted chocolate Jason Bourne was looking out for her and had her back. She realized Derek was staring at her and Penelope shrugged, "I thought it was sweet of you." She paused and smiled softly, "I kind of liked it."

A cocky smile spread on Derek's face, "So you don't mind me being overprotective, huh?"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I have four brothers, Derek. I don't need another."

"Trust me, sweetheart, I don't wanna be your brother." There was a certain heat in his eyes when he said it. Penelope looked down, shyly. It was the same look she had seen in his eyes when he spoke to her last night. It was the same look she had seen in his eyes after she had pulled away from his kiss earlier.

A wave of confusing emotions hit her like a brick. She had spent almost three years of her life convincing herself that there could be nothing between her and Derek. She had just started to believe it when she began dating Kevin. This weekend was starting to make her believe otherwise. There was no mistaking the sexual tension that existed between them, everyone could see it. But was it just sexual tension, or was there the possibility of more? Was she brave enough to find out?

Soft music was wafting from the dance floor and Derek stood, "Come on, baby girl, you owe me a dance."

Penelope smiled coyly as she stood, "Oh I do?"

"You owe me for protecting you from your psycho of an ex." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "If you don't wanna dance, I know how else you can repay me."

The raw heat in his eyes was unmistakable as he pulled away. Knowing that look was meant for her caused a small pool of pleasure to begin to build. Penelope bit her lip nervously, "Let's dance."

Derek took her hand and led her to the dance floor. It was a slow song; Penelope wasn't sure if she should be happy or curse. As Derek put his hands on her hips and pulled her close, Penelope had a flash of what he had said the night before.

"_I see full inviting hips that beg to be caressed."_

A flash of heat ran through her. This is crazy, she told herself. Derek was her best friend; this was not something she should be thinking. As they moved slowly against each other, Penelope was acutely aware of exactly where their bodies were touching. Their hands, where Derek was slowly rubbing his rough thumbs against her smooth skin. How her chest was pressed tight against his causing her breasts to practically fall out of her dress. How her nipples had pebbled and every time Derek touched them sent waves of pleasure crashing through her. How his thigh kept rubbing subtly against her core. Penelope could barely stand it. Her breath was coming ragged yet Derek appeared his usually calm, collected self.

As Derek looked down at her, she couldn't help but stare at his full lips. It was torturous, now that she knew what he tasted like, not to kiss him again. She swallowed hard and decided to do something she had wanted to do for years. She leaned up and kissed him.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: If you guys like my last update, you will love this one. Thank you so much for your reviews, alerts, and favorites. They make me want to jump up and down with giddiness. I will have my next update ready by tomorrow. Maybe tonight if I'm feeling sweet.

Dancing so close with Penelope was like a dream come true for Derek. All the years of dancing with other women and wishing it was her was pure torture. Then, seeing her last week dancing with another man drove him crazy yet again. Especially when that man had been running his hands over his baby girl. Now, it was finally them dancing. It was finally him caressing her. It was finally her rubbing slowly against him, making him hot. And Penelope was the hottest, most evocative woman he had ever danced with.

She had always refused to dance with him, claiming that she couldn't dance. That was the farthest thing from the truth. She knew exactly how to dance to drive a man insane. She knew just how to sway her hips to subtly brush against him. She knew just how to move to keep his eyes glued to her barely concealed breasts.

He was starting to regret telling her to wear that dress. She looked absolutely amazing. It was making it nearly impossible to act like he just wanted to be friends. He had to bite back a groan as Penelope's hips touched a particularly sensitive part of his body.

If he didn't know better he would think by the way she was rubbing against him, that she was trying. There was an unmistakable look of raw heat and teasing in her eyes. Hot damn, he thought, his baby girl _was_ trying. The thought that Penelope was trying to turn him on made him instantly hard. Two could play that game, he thought with a wicked smile.

He pulled her closer and slid his thigh between her legs, knowing it would rub against just the right spot every time she swayed. To his amusement, he felt her nipples instantly harden. He looked down at her and saw her staring at him, her lips parted slightly and that drove him wild. She looked so beautiful, so sensual, so….perfect. He wondered if she would push him away if he kissed her. Then, much to his surprise and delight, she lean up and kissed him.

It was better than their previous kiss. Penelope's full ruby red lips tasted like cherry lip balm. It was so like Penelope that Derek couldn't help but smile. Derek ran his tongue along her bottom lip and her mouth parted willingly. As he slipped his tongue in her mouth, he was hit with the taste of lime, salt, and tequila. His baby girl loved her margaritas. He suddenly remembered his baby girl was also a light weight and pulled away with a groan.

The look of utter hurt and devastation on her face nearly broke his heart. He took her face in his hands, "Baby girl, how much have you had to drink?"

She looked confused momentarily, "Only three drinks." It dawned on her what he was thinking and she frowned suddenly, "Derek, I'm not drunk." She smiled and leaned up in an attempt to kiss him again but he turned away.

Every fiber in Derek wished and hoped and prayed that she was telling the truth but he just didn't know and he wasn't willing to take that chance and ruin their friendship. "Penelope, I don't want you to do something you will regret."

She frowned and stuck her lip out in a pout, "What are you talking about?"

He sighed, shook his head and began to explain, "We're at a wedding, you've been drinking, and you're mad at your ex-"

She cut him off, "Derek, I'm not doing this because I've had a few drinks. I'm not doing this because Kevin might still be around. I'm doing this because I want to. Because I've wanted to for years." She looked so earnest and sincere.

It took a moment for her words to sink in. When they finally did, Derek smiled. "Baby girl, you're telling me all these years I could have kiss you and you wouldn't have slapped you?"

She smiled, "Gorgeous, if you had kissed me, I would have jumped your bones and held you captive in my bedroom for weeks."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. She opened her mouth willingly, ready for him but Derek pulled away, "As much as I would love to stand here all night kissing you, I don't know if I'm gunna be able to stop with just kissing and I don't think your friends would appreciate that."

A bright smiled spread across Penelope's face, "I'm getting kinda tired. Wanna take me home?"

That sounded amazing. To finally be able to actually be with the woman he'd dreamed about. The woman he'd pleasured himself thinking about. Even if she was drunk, even if she was just trying to get back at Lynch, he didn't care. Even it was only once, he had to. There was no way he would ever forgive himself if he didn't. Right now, in this instant, he wasn't concerned with how this might affect their friendship. If he could get one night with the woman of his dreams, he was willing to face any and all consequences. "Baby girl, let's go home."

Penelope gave him a small kiss, "That sounds like a good plan."

It seemed like it took hours for Penelope to say goodbye. She had to thank the bride and the groom, and then it felt like every person was at the wedding wanted to speak to her for a moment.

Finally they were able to get to Derek's SUV. He opened the door for her and helped her get in before getting in himself. It would take about 45 minutes to get back to his house. The entire time Derek worried that she would change her mind. He never thought that this could possibly happen and now that it was happening, he was petrified that she would change her mind and their friendship would be ruined.

The tension was evident in his posture and Penelope instantly picked up on it. She bit her lip nervously and took a deep breath. She had come this far, she really had nothing else to lose. She reached her hand over and rubbed his leg, "You okay, love bug?" She inched her hand up and found that he was already hard. She was shocked at how deliciously naughty and wicked she felt.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Derek and Penelope felt a surge of power. "Penelope, if you want to make it home, you had better move your hand." A sinful smile crossed Penelope's face and she rubbed her hand slowly against him. Derek groaned and put his hand over hers to stop the movement, "Baby girl," he warned. Penelope pulled her hand away with a smirk.

They soon pulled into Derek's driveway and they both eagerly exited his car. Derek took her hand and led her into his house, up his stairs and into his bedroom. Penelope's heart was racing and she couldn't breath. She couldn't believe that it was really happening. She had wished for this for years and now….now it was finally going to happen. She looked at him and saw barely covered lust written over his face. "Derek," she said nervously.

She didn't have a chance to complete her thought before Derek's lips were on hers. His arms were suddenly around her, caressing and teasing. Penelope's hands found her way to his face as his tongue plundered her mouth. Each flick and twirl of his tongue in her mouth sent wave after wave of pleasure through out her body. She felt Derek's hand clasp her breast and she moaned against him. Her veins were aflame with passion and want and she could barely control herself. One glance at Derek told her he was feeling exactly the same way. He pushed her slowly onto his bed and Penelope knew that tonight was going to be the night that six years of fantasies came true.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I decided to be sweet. This update is angsty but it will get better…..eventually.

It was far too bright. Penelope groaned and cracked open one eye and saw that the dull brown curtains were open. She shut her eyes and pulled the covers over her head to block out the rude sun. Didn't the sun know that she was trying to sleep? She wondered why the curtains were open; she never even opened the curtains in her room. Those weren't her curtains she suddenly realized. Her curtains were a bright purple. She yanked the covers down and sat up suddenly.

She instantly realized that she was in Derek's room. In his bed. Naked. And alone. She rubbed her eyes as she remembered the night before. It had been a very good night. A very, very good night. She stretched and wondered where Derek was. She wasn't all too worried; she knew he wouldn't just leave her.

Crawling out of bed, she scrounged around for her clothes. She found her dress hanging over his dresser and her bra on the floor but she couldn't find her panties. There was absolutely no way she was walking around commando. She eventually found them under his bed. How on earth had they gotten there? She groaned, not wanting to put on the skin tight dress this early in the morning. Early mornings required sweats and a t-shirt three times too big. She went over to Derek's dresser in search of some comfy clothes to wear.

The smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted through the air and she felt someone walk up behind her. "Good morning, princess."

"I'll show you a good morning, hot stuff," she said automatically. She didn't turn around and continued to search through his clothes. She suddenly didn't want to see him. It would make everything too real. She abruptly didn't want it any of it to be real.

"Just what are you doing, momma?"

Penelope realized that she was going to eventually have to face Derek and rationalize what had happened. After a moment, she turned around and smiled innocently, "Looking for something comfy to wear." Oh god, he looked way too good for this early. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was eleven. She frowned; it was still early for a Sunday, she told herself.

Derek chuckled, "I was hoping that you would just stay naked all day." He handed her a cup of coffee.

After a long, soothing sip, she smiled, "I bet you were. But that's not happening, hot stuff." She turned and picked up the first shirt and pair of shorts she saw, quickly putting them on.

When she turned around, Derek let out a low whistle. "Why is it that your woman always looks better in your clothes than you do?"

Your woman? His woman? Penelope instantly felt terrified. She had always wished and dreamed about being with Derek but now that it was an actual possibility, Penelope felt like bolting. She let out a nervous chuckle, "Because this woman always looks better than you."

"Mmm, I can definitely agree with that," he said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"Ugh, baby doll," Penelope said as she pulled away, "I love you but you need a shower. You smell like…." She trailed off, embarrassed.

"Sex?"

She blushed a bright crimson, "Exactly." Penelope didn't understand the tangle of emotions that she was feeling. She had never been embarrassed about sex before, why now?

Derek started kissing her neck sending little shivers of pleasure down her spine. "Care like joining me in that shower?"

She shook her head, "The last time I took a shower with someone, Rossi showed up at my door and I was naked under my robe. I still have nightmares about it." She gave him a kiss on his cheek, "I'll tell you what. You shower and I will make us waffles."

"I would rather have you for breakfast," Derek said with a naughty smile.

Penelope laughed nervously and moved away, "Hurry up. Waffles won't take long." Derek gave her a smile and walked over to his bathroom.

Penelope took a deep breath and headed down to his kitchen, her mind running wild with emotions. Derek's dog Clooney jumped up from his spot on the couch and came over to greet her. She petted him absentmindedly, lost in her thoughts.

She had thought everything would be perfect after they made love but she was quickly realizing that that was just a fantasy. Instead of feeling happy and relieved, she had an overwhelming feeling of dread, like she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. Her mind raced with questions. How was Derek feeling about what had happened? What was the long term fallout from what transpired? Would this be the beginning of a relationship? Did she even want it to be the beginning of a relationship?

A relationship with Derek Morgan. She shook her head sadly, it could never work. He was the biggest player she had ever met. He never stayed with one woman for more than a few months. Penelope knew that if she had him, and he left her, she would never bounce back. Would she even want it to work? Or were these feelings just coming around because she was recently single and horny? Even if a relationship did work, it could easily ruin the BAU, she knew. The only reason her relationship with Kevin was permitted was because they almost never worked together. Penelope knew that if Strauss found out about their relationship, one of them could easily be transferred out of the BAU.

Penelope felt the overwhelming urge to run out the front door and hide. The only thing that stopped her was that she didn't have her car. She took a deep breath and knew she was going to have to face this like a big girl. She glanced towards the stairs with a sigh and busied herself with making waffles.

A half hour later, Derek came walking down his stairs looking delicious as usual. It only cemented her decision. He was an absolute god and she was far from. You couldn't have two people in a relationship when one was as good looking as he was and the other, well, wasn't. He walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Smells good, babe."

She moved out of his reach and handed him his plate. "Thanks," she said shortly.

Derek took a bite from his plate while Penelope crossed her arms over her chest nervously, hoping that she was about to make the right decision. He quickly picked up on her attitude and asked, "Everything okay, baby girl?"

Penelope nodded, "I'm fine. I just want to get home soon."

"Oh, ok. Do you wanna stop and get some clothes? I was thinking we could do popcorn and a movie tonight," he said as he took a seat at his table.

"No, Derek. I don't think so."

"Do you want to do something else then?"

Penelope bit her lip nervously and shook her head, "No, I just want to go home. By myself."

Derek looked down at his meal and nodded slowly. After a minute he spoke, "Oh," he said. "I get it."

The look on his face broke Penelope's heart but she knew she was doing what was best for the both of them. "Derek, I just don't think this is a good idea."

"I said I get it," he snapped. He took a deep breath and set his plate down on his counter, "Let me just grab my keys and I will take you home."

Tears were welling up in her eyes and she turned away. She knew that if she stuck around any longer, she would start crying. If she started crying, he would comfort her and her resolve would fly out the window. "It's fine. I can take a cab."

There was an unmistakable mixture of hurt and anger on Derek's face. He rubbed his face with his hand in an attempt to control his emotions. Finally he said, "It's time for Clooney's walk. Lock up when the cab gets here." With that, he grabbed his leash and walked out the front door with Clooney trotting closely behind him, leaving Penelope alone when she burst into tears.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long. I hope this update will make it up to you.

When Monday rolled around, Derek was an absolute grump. He had known that there would be a chance that she would leave and he had told himself that he would be okay with that. He had told himself that even if it ruined their friendship, one passionate night together would be worth it. But it wasn't. One night with her just wasn't enough. Once he had her, once he knew what it was like to be with her, he knew he would never be happy unless she was with him forever.

He tried to keep his feelings to himself but he ended up snapping at everyone. He had even made a new intern cry after she jammed the printer. Once that happened, Derek knew it was only a matter of time before someone confronted him. Sure enough, he got a call from Rossi inviting him to his office.

He made his way slowly to Rossi's office and leaned against his door frame. Once Rossi looked up, Derek spoke, "You wanted to see me?"

"I heard a rumor about Garcia."

That was not what he had expected to hear. He didn't want to hear about, or talk about Penelope. Derek's brow crinkled in frustration, "Oh yea?"

"Yea." He leaned back in his chair and frowned, "Apparently she's dating someone on the team."

His jaw clenched with aggravation. Of course Lynch was going to say something, the little weasel that he was. "Where did you hear that?" he asked slowly.

"Sylvia, the new tech." Rossi motioned for Derek to take a seat. Derek ignored it and continued to lean against Rossi's door. After a moment Rossi continued, "She heard that you and Garcia were at a wedding together and, apparently, you two were pretty cozy."

"She heard wrong," Derek snapped. All he needed was the wedding to get around. It would be a constant reminder of what could have been. He felt the urge to punch the wall.

Rossi raised his eyebrow, suspiciously, "I gathered that from your attitude. Everything okay?"

The urge to punch something grew stronger. Except now he was thinking about punching Rossi. The one thing he hated about the BAU was that privacy just wasn't an option. "Rossi, some things are personal."

"You know, if I spent half as much time with my ex wives as you do with Garcia, I doubt they would be my ex wives."

"Drop it, Rossi," Derek growled. He turned to leave when Rossi spoke.

"Some women are worth fighting for, Morgan." Morgan paused in the doorway and turned to glance at Rossi. If any woman was worth fighting for, it was Penelope. With a sigh, Derek shook his head and returned to his desk.

As he sat as his desk, he came to a decision. All Sunday long he had moped and sulked because the best thing that had ever happened to him had just walked out his door, and he had let her go without a fight. Four times he had picked up his phone to tell her how sorry he was but he had never actually made the call. He told himself that he would just have to deal with it, that he would just learn to smile and support her as she moved on with someone else. He made himself that promise before he brought her home Saturday night.

But Rossi was right. Penelope was worth fighting for. Derek didn't know why she thought it wouldn't work, but he was going to find out and he was going to prove to her that it could work and that it was going to.

He quickly made his way to Penelope's office. He paused outside of her door when he saw it was open and heard voices floating out from it. He didn't absolutely have to tell her right now. Maybe he could surprise her with something sweet. Penelope loved surprises. He turned to leave when he recognized Lynch's voice.

"So how are you and Morgan?" Lynch asked snidely. Derek wondered how she would answer that.

There was a pause before Penelope spoke, "We're great, Kevin. Everything is peachy." Her answer gave Derek some hope.

"Then why is he so grumpy today? I heard he made an intern cry today. It's nice to know that you're with such a nice guy." That pissed Derek off.

"Kevin, I'm really not in the mood for this," Penelope said, her voice ripe with agitation.

"Bad weekend? Have a fight with your boy toy?"

Derek couldn't stand it any longer. He told Lynch that he needed to treat Penelope the way she deserved to be treated. He walked into Penelope's office with a smile, "Hey, baby girl. I missed you." He leaned down and gave her quick kiss on the lips. He turned to Lynch, "I hear there's a serial killer down in interrogation if you want to meet him," he threatened.

Lynch blanched and quickly left the room. Derek smiled smugly as he turned to Penelope. She was glaring at him with a frown on her face and she looked absolutely beautiful. Her arms were crossed under her breasts pushing them up giving him the perfect vantage of her cleavage.

Penelope noticed where he was staring and huffed, "I didn't need your help."

Derek sighed, "I didn't mean to step on your toes, Penelope. I just was walking by and heard what was going on." He gave her his best innocent look.

The look on her face was one of utter disbelief. "Just walking by? The only thing down this hallway is other techies. And I know you didn't go to see them."

"Okay, so I came to see you," he said, flashing her his suave smile.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm really not in the mood for flirty banter with you today."

He sighed and took a deep breath, "I didn't come here for flirty banter. I came here because I wanted to tell you something. I made a mistake yesterday."

"Derek, I know it was a mistake. That's why I left." She refused to look at him when she said it.

"No, Penelope, that was not a mistake." She turned to look at him in surprise. "My mistake was letting you walk out that door."

"What?" she asked incredulously.

There was so much he wanted to tell her but he knew if he said too much, too fast that she would bolt. He smiled softly, "I have wanted to be with you for years. I finally have that chance and I'm not just going to let you go."

Penelope shook her head vigorously, "Derek, sweetie, it's not going to work."

"You don't know that," he said, frustrated. He wanted to shake her and make her see reason. "I know you enjoyed this weekend, too. Are you willing to take the chance of missing out on something great?"

"I'm not like the other girls you date. I'm not the love 'em and leave 'em type. I couldn't handle that and I won't let you hurt me like that."

That hurt but he knew that he deserved it. Out of all of the relationships that he had been in over the years, none of them stayed around for more than a few months, by his choice. He knelt down in front of her and took her face in his hands, "Penelope, I did that to other girls because none of them were you." He hated begging. He had never begged for anything in his life, but Penelope was worth it. "Please just give me a chance to prove to you that this will work."

"I don't know, Derek," she said but Derek saw doubt in her eyes. He knew she was going to give him a chance.

He smiled, "Just one date. This Friday."

She looked away and after what seemed like forever, she turned back to him, "Fine. One date. But if I think its going to ruin our friendship even remotely, we're done."

He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I promise you, Penelope, it will be worth it."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I finally got a job, six months after moving here. I've been busy with that but I'm going to try to update my stories on a regular basis. I'm working on another Derek/Penelope story which should be up tonight or tomorrow.

The rest of the week flew by in a blur. Penelope could barely believe what was about to happen. Derek Morgan, the man she had loved for years was actually going to take her out on a real date. Not as friends, but as an actual romantic couple. The very thought of it made her nervous enough to puke. She was terrified.

When Derek had come into her office on Monday and begged, literally begged, for her to give a relationship a chance, it had broken her heart. She knew Derek probably better than anyone and for him to actually beg was huge. She couldn't say no to him after that.

In spite of the fact that she said yes, she still didn't think it was a good idea. She didn't need a date with Derek to know that a relationship between them would be explosive and amazing. The wedding had proven that it would inexorably be the best relationship of her life. She just wasn't sure what would happen when their relationship would fizzle out, which it inevitably would. Derek just wasn't a long term relationship type of person. And that would break her heart.

There was a knock at her door and Penelope took a deep breath. A final glance in her mirror told her that she looked damn good. She found a cute little black dress in her closet that was flowy, knee-length and covered her cleavage very nicely, which was hard to do. She paired the dress with a funky pink cardigan, hot pink heels and an assortment of jewelry. Just because she thought the date was a bad idea didn't mean she couldn't look amazing.

The knock sounded again and she quickly walked to the door, opening it with a smile. Derek stood there looking absolutely gorgeous in a deep maroon sweater and dark slacks. "Hey," she said, hoping to sound calmer than she felt. Hot damn, he looked good, she thought.

"Hey baby girl." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. When he pulled away, he looked her up and down and Penelope saw approval shining through his eyes. "You look good enough to eat, momma."

She couldn't help but laugh. "If you're good tonight, maybe you can," she teased with a wink as they headed out the door.

The restaurant was absolutely gorgeous. It was small and quaint with a well known jazz band. They were seated at a table right in front of the band, much to Penelope's delight.

"This place is really nice," she said as she looked around. They were one of many couples filling the low lit room, giving it a romantic atmosphere. She momentarily wondered how many other women he had brought here filling her with a twinge of jealousy. She pushed the envious thought away and turned back to him with a smile. "I've never even heard of it before."

Derek shrugged nonchalantly. "It's pretty well known among the jazz crowd. I loved coming here." In spite of the fact that he was acting so casual, Penelope could tell he was proud to bring her to this place.

"You never told me about it." A teasing smile played on her lips.

"Baby girl, there are a lot of things I've never told you." As he said it, his dark eyes danced with heat and Penelope was reminded of just how he had looked at her when he saw her in the dress she wore to the wedding. It made her think of the night they had spent together and a raw heat flushed through her.

"Like what?" she asked huskily.

"I hate strawberries."

"What?" she asked quickly. That had been the farthest thing from her mind. She had been expecting something sexual. She suddenly realized what he said. "Wait, but I bake you a strawberry pie for your birthday. Every year." For six birthdays she had made him a pie. Not a cake, everyone got cakes for their birthday, but a pie because pies were different. And a strawberry pie because, well, it was the only pie she really knew how to bake.

Derek's face shown with a playful smile as he said, "I know."

Penelope wasn't sure how to feel. Part of her was upset that he had never told her but another part of her was flattered that he had eaten it anyway. She asked, "Why do you eat it?"

"Because you baked it for me," he said simply. Penelope gave him a questioning look prompting him to explain. "You bake once a year. For me."

She blushed slightly; it was very sweet of him. Part of her felt silly that she'd been baking a pie he hated all these years but she knew he only did it to make her feel good. "You could have told me," she said finally.

"I didn't want you to stop. I thought it was sweet." He smiled at her and Penelope couldn't help but smile back. Derek really was a sweetheart, once you really got to know him, she thought. Her adamancy that a relationship with Derek wouldn't work was starting to thaw. Maybe, Penelope thought, something good could come from this.

The rest of the date went well, just as Penelope knew it would. They laughed, they flirted, they teased. If she really wanted to be honest with herself, it was probably the best date she had ever been on. Derek made sure of that.

When they pulled up to her apartment, Derek turned off the car and looked towards her. Penelope's nerves began to spike; she knew he was going to push the relationship thing and as amazing as their date had been, it hadn't changed her reservations. "So, how was it?" he finally asked.

She smiled softly, "You know it was an amazing date." He had planned it to be perfect and it had been.

"And?"

He looked to eager and hopeful that Penelope couldn't bring herself to tell him no. She said, "And what?"

"Did I prove it to you?"

"Derek, I didn't need a date to know being with you would be wonderful."

Derek sighed and looked out the window. Penelope could see the frustration evident in his posture. His hands were clenched around the steering wheel and the moonlight shone through the windshield, highlighting the tense irritation in his face. Penelope felt the need to reach over and touch him but didn't. He spoke without turning back to her. "Penelope, I don't understand."

"It's just…."she sighed, at a loss for words. How could she explain to him her fears without insulting him? He turned back to her giving her the courage she needed to continue. "I know what it would be like if we were together, and I know that it would be the best time of my life…"

She was stopped as Derek interrupted her. "Then what's the problem?" Irritation was rife in his voice and it almost made Penelope flinch.

His irritation angered her and pushed to her blurt out, "What happens when it ends?"

"What?" The look on his face was one of disbelief. His eyes narrowed and it became apparent that his frustration was beginning to get the better of him.

Penelope didn't say anything for a moment. How could she tell him that she didn't trust him to stick around? She knew he would be hurt and that it could possibly hurt their friendship. She feared this date had already ruined their friendship. If not, it had certainly changed it. Never again could they joke in the same way. Never again could Derek make one of his blatantly sexual comments and laugh it away. She finally said softly, "When you get tired of it and move on to someone else?"

To her surprise and relief, Derek simply laughed. "Baby girl, that's never going to happen," he said with a shake of his head.

Penelope's row crinkled in frustration. He was just disregarding her greatest fear. "How do you know?" she challenged.

His eyes softened and he took her face in his hands. His rough thumbs stroked softly against her cheeks. "Because I love you and have loved you for years. I've dreamt about you, about being with you. I know, just like you do, that being with you will be the best thing that has ever happened to me and there is no way I'm going to give that up."

She wanted to believe him so bad. Every fiber of her being was begging and urging her to listen and believe him. He looked to earnest and what he was saying sounded so wonderful. One look in his eyes told Penelope that Derek believed what he was saying and it nearly broke her heart. She pulled away and interrupted him, "Derek, I-"

"Penelope, stop," he commanded. She shut her mouth and turned back to him, waiting.  
"I understand you're scared and you have every right to be with the way you've seen me go through women over the years. But are you really going to let that fear keep you from what you know will be amazing? I'm never going to leave you. I know that. But, even so, there's always the chance it could end without me leaving you. We both know our work is dangerous. I could die every time I go out on a case. Would you let that stop you?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No," she said softly. She was reminded of Derek's mom who had lost her husband to his job. When Penelope had met her, she had been so strong and felt so adamantly that loving Derek's father had been worth it. Maybe Derek was right, she thought suddenly. Even if something happened, it would be worth it.

Derek must have sensed her resolve was weakening. He took one of her hands in his and spoke. "Stop thinking of the worst possible scenario, baby girl. You're not the type to let your fears rule your life."

It was true and Penelope knew it. She wanted to just say yes and fall into his arms so bad. Why couldn't she, she suddenly thought. What was holding her back? If she still wanted a relationship with him as she had for years, she was the only thing in the way. No one else and nothing else was standing in her way. She didn't let her fears run the rest of her life, so why should she let them run this part of her life? As this realization dawned on her, Penelope felt a warm happy buzz flood through her body.

With a smile she turned to Derek. "You're right. About everything."

A huge smile spread on his face as he said, "Of course I am." Penelope chuckled as Derek pulled her close to press a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled away he said, "I'm not promising that everything will be perfect, Penelope. I'm just promising that I will do everything in my power to make you happy for as long as I'm breathing."

"That's all a girl could ask for," Penelope said and for the first time since the wedding, she felt right.


End file.
